A popular street patrol group in Failsworth, which is often described on social media as ‘crime-ridden’, has been shut down for a second time by Greater Manchester Police.
Failsworth Street Patrol are no strangers to GMP. The large group of volunteers regularly patrol their town in Oldham – which is a neighbouring town of Newton Heath – and are often present before police officers arrive when inevitable criminal activity is spotted.
It’s their community, they know it like the back of their hand – crime hotspots, who to look out for, and where somebody might bolt on foot after they’ve tried someone’s back door. With a huge rise in crime in the Failsworth area over the past few years, the patrol group was literally born out of a desperate cry for help from residents.
Tesco Extra in Failsworth
Cars are being taken from gated drives, often following burglaries in which patio door handles are decimated (while families sleep upstairs), or the use of simple technology that allows keyless cars to be opened and driven away with ease. Gangs of youngsters with nothing to do and plenty of time to kill are leaving knives and axes in bushes and joyriding is becoming a fun activity up and down the busy A-roads that take you from Oldham to Manchester – or right through Failsworth.
Like most towns on the periphery of town (or Manchester city centre), crime and antisocial behaviour is currently through the roof – and community groups like FSP and its many variations in towns like Ashton, Gorton and Droylsden are filling in when rising crime reports are overwhelming responding police officers.
But after some recent activity in Failsworth which saw a young man arrested for trying car doors with “an offensive weapon” in his bag, it has been reported that Failsworth Street Patrol has been asked to stand down by GMP.
Writing on their Facebook page this evening (3 March), GMP Failsworth and Hollinwood stated: “Shortly before 12.30am on Tuesday 2 March 2021, police were alerted to reports that a man was acting suspiciously and trying the handles of cars in the Failsworth area.
“Police attended Burgess Drive in Failsworth where they arrested a 24-year man on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and vehicle interference. Enquiries are currently ongoing to establish the circumstances of how the man was detained.
“The Failsworth Street Patrols group have shown a willingness to bring community issues to the attention of GMP for resolution.
“However, their passion to help their community must not stray into vigilantism, and we would discourage them becoming involved during police incidents where they may be placing themselves and others at risk.
“The group is not a formally recognised registered group or charity and activity that strays into the realm of vigilantism is not supported by Greater Manchester Police.”
In response to the GMP post on Facebook, Failsworth Street Patrol also made a statement, writing: “GMP and the local council have asked us to shut down.
“They have distanced themselves from us once again, throwing vigilantism at us as you can see in their post. We have done everything we can for them to be on our side. We’ve got public liability insurance and we are actively in the process of getting our members DBS checked.
“We will continue to patrol the streets of Failsworth, as long as we have the residents on our side supporting us that’s all we need!”
Failsworth Street Patrol on-scene photograph
Residents of Failsworth and beyond have responded in their hundreds across both posts and in large community groups on the social media website, with most expressing their distaste towards the move to shut the entity down – an entity that regularly keeps them updated on what’s going on in their area when the street lights switch on.
It’s a bold move by Greater Manchester Police, and one that they know will generate backlash, but also one that they will not have made on a whim.
We’ve reached out to GMP for comment, and will update when we receive one.
News
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
“We are definitely going to see the very best of what Rochdale has to offer over the next 12 months and people will come from far and wide to see it.”
Featured Image – Rochdale Council
News
The Lowry Theatre undergoes revamp following Biffa Award grant
Danny Jones
The Lowry in Salford Quays has had a bit of TLC with one of its biggest theatre spaces undergoing a pretty significant refurb this past month.
Following a well-deserved grant distributed via the Biffa Award, a multi-million-pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through community and environmental projects across the UK, the legendary local theatre received nearly £75k last year.
As a result, all 440 seats and various other aspects of The Lowry‘s Quays Theatre have now been renovated and refurbished.
The short story is, she looks more gorgeous than ever – see for yourself:
Being initially handed over in March 2024, The Lowry was awarded a total of £74,816 to reupholster seating in the venue’s Quays Theatre with new padding and fabric.
After almost 25 years of constant use as one of the most popular theatres in the North, the seats in the Quays Theatre were much in need of a refurb, and with work completed in December, Lowry visitors can now enjoy watching the venue’s wide range of theatre, dance, comedy and drama in comfort.
The work was actually carried out between July and December, with seats being carefully removed in batches and reupholstered off-site.
This was made possible due to the Biffa Award’s most recent ‘Cultural Facilities’ theme, which aims to improve recreation, interest and education, drawing funds from the UK government’s wider Landfill Communities Fund.
The old fabric and padding were disposed of sustainably, with lots of it being repurposed where possible to minimise waste and all the new materials used meet current guidance for safety and quality.
The Lowry’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Development, Gwen Oakden, said of the long overdue update:“It is so important that our audiences are able to enjoy our world-class performing arts programme in a comfortable and welcoming space.
“For many visitors to the Quays Theatre, this is their first experience of live performance – often to see a family show or as part of a school trip. We really want it to be the best experience possible, and for them to begin a lifelong relationship with Lowry.
“As a registered charity, without the generous support of this Biffa Award, for which we’re hugely grateful, we couldn’t have carried out this important work for our audiences.
As we head into our 25th Anniversary year, we are delighted to be able to welcome audiences and visitors can enjoy the beautiful and revived Quays Theatre.”
As for the Biffa side of things, Grants Manager Rachel Maidment added: “We are delighted to have supported The Lowry in refurbishing the Quays Theatre seating, ensuring audiences can continue to enjoy performances in comfort.
“Through Biffa’s Cultural Facilities theme, we fund projects that provide engaging and inspiring spaces for communities. The Lowry is a key cultural venue, and we’re proud that our funding, made possible through the government Fund, has helped enhance the experience for visitors for years to come.”
Like most Mancs, we love The Lowry, so here’s to hosting countless more theatregoers in the most comfortable seats possible for generations to come.
We’ve been to some brilliant performances around here of late.
The Manc -
3rd March 2021 
